Hello,

I have a thyratron TGI2-400/16 and I need some help. I would like to know if I could use this thyratron just like thyristor is used, for rectifying full-wave 230V/50 Hz AC voltage to half-wave and regulating the output power.

AFAIK it should be able to handle 16 kV/400 A, but I am not sure about the frequency and the turn-on time of the half-wave (which could be in range of 0 to 10 ms which means 0 to 100% of power). Some sources say that it can only work in range 200 to 450 Hz, some don't specify the minimum frequency, and some say the maximum pulse time is 4 to 5 ms - which would be insufficient.

Thank you for your help.

 

That is a normal operation for thyratron use.
I haven't used that one specifically but used Thyratrons and Ignitrons for similar work.
Max.

 

Hello,

I have a thyratron TGI2-400/16 and I need some help. I would like to know if I could use this thyratron just like thyristor is used, for rectifying full-wave 230V/50 Hz AC voltage to half-wave and regulating the output power.

AFAIK it should be able to handle 16 kV/400 A, but I am not sure about the frequency and the turn-on time of the half-wave (which could be in range of 0 to 10 ms which means 0 to 100% of power). Some sources say that it can only work in range 200 to 450 Hz, some don't specify the minimum frequency, and some say the maximum pulse time is 4 to 5 ms - which would be insufficient.

Thank you for your help.

You probably don't have much choice - I think electric locomotive only use about 600V or so.

Britain and France have a DC cable under the English channel - you could probably borrow something from the inverter hut that might do the job................

 

AFAIK it should be able to handle 16 kV/400 A

According to this datasheet :-
Average anode current is stated as max 500mA (pulse is 400A).
Grid pulse needed is 4-5mS, 200-400V.
Turn on time is up to 0.6mS.
Max pulse repetition frequency is 450Hz.

 

According to this datasheet :-
Average anode current is stated as max 500mA (pulse is 400A).
Grid pulse needed is 4-5mS, 200-400V.
Turn on time is up to 0.6mS.
Max pulse repetition frequency is 450Hz.

So that means the electric pulse must last longer than 4-5 ms, but can last also 10 ms or more?
Does it also mean I can't regulate the power of, let's say 230V * 16A / 2 = 1.8kW linearly - supplying eg. a motor, because the power can be regulated only in pulses? I am not sure I understand it well.

 

The fact that the average current required is very much greater than 0.5 amps is sufficient to rule out this method.

 

And the average current means what exactly? Because I could use another thyratron with higher allowed frequency (eg. TGI1-270/12) instead of half-bridge with IGBTs in regulated switching power supply - and 270A pulsed would be then ok, or am I wrong? (Of course I would have to handle turning-off of the thyratron.)

 

And the average current means what exactly? ...

It means you integrate the instantaneous current over a period of time and divede the result by the period. How else would you do it?

 

eg. TGI1-270/12) instead of half-bridge with IGBTs in regulated switching power supply - and 270A pulsed would be then ok, or am I wrong?

For that thyratron the datasheet says the rated max pulse current is 270A but the rated average current is only 0.4A .